July 26, 2007

Morning Wrap

In court: Michael Vick will enter a plea in federal court today in Richmond, Va. The NFL quarterback is charged with running a competitive dog fighting operation out of his property in Surry County.

Baghdad: Two suicide bombings killed at least 50 people celebrating the advancement of Iraq’s national soccer team to the Asian Cup finals. More than 130 people were injured when two parked cars exploded in separate locations less than an hour apart.

Ring of Fire: A magnitude 7.0 earthquake shook up Indonesia today. Its epicenter was 20 miles underneath the Maluku Sea, but a tsunami warning has been called off. So far, no damage or injuries have been reported.

Peer pressure: A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine today asserts that an individual’s likelihood of becoming obese increases if that person has friends or family who are overweight. Researchers say the strongest correlation occurred between friends, not relatives.

Young at heart: The New York City Dept. of Aging is educating the elderly about AIDS. So far, the effort has entailed passing out free condoms and offering free HIV testing at senior centers. The idea isn't so ridiculous: recently, a Howard University doctor diagnosed an 82-year-old patient with HIV.